Definitions -In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- (1) “Act” means the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority Act, 2020; (2) “Aquaculture Business Operations" means all the operations/activities undertaken for carrying out Aquaculture business; (3) “Aquaculture Business Operators” means any person/ company/ firm carrying out Aquaculture business operations; (4) “Aquaculture Business” means production/manufacture/ rendering, dealership/distribution, sale of aquaculture inputs, aquaculture equipment and aquaculture services, aquaculture harvest, aquaculture post-harvest operations and all other related activities; (5) “Aquaculture Equipment” means devices, equipment, implements, tools etc including accessories (like aerators, air blowers, automatic feeders etc); (6) “Aquaculture Farm” means any place with water holding facility to do aquaculture; (7) “Aquaculture Farmers” means the person/firm/company undertaking aquaculture; (8) “Aquaculture Harvest Operations” means the activities undertaken to harvest aquaculture produce; (9) “Aquaculture inputs” means seed, feed, feed supplements, aqua chemicals, aqua products, medicines, all other materials that are used directly or in combination with others for doing aquaculture; (10) “Aquaculture Inspector" means any officer of Fisheries Department who is designated as Aquaculture Inspector under section 28; (11) “Aquaculture post-harvest operations” means any activity undertaken from harvest till it is sold to consumer including weighment, addition of ice, transport, pre-processing, processing, value addition, packaging, preservation, storage, cold chain, trade, marketing, export and all such activities; (12) “Aquaculture Produce” means biomass of aquatic organisms produced through aquaculture; (13) “Aquaculture Services” means services provided by any person/firm/company/institution/body(like Aqua Labs, Aqua Consultant,Aqua Technicians, Aquaculture extension personnel and others) for doing aquaculture; (14) “Aquaculture” means growing of aquatic organism from smaller size to larger size; (15) “Aquatic Organism” means an animal or plant of any species or hybrid thereof, and includes gametes, seeds, egg, sperm, larvae, juvenile and adult stages, any one of which is required to be in water (of any salinity) during that stage of its life. It includes but not limited to cartilaginous and bony fishes, freshwater and marine prawn and shrimp, crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms, amphibians, tortoises, plankton, seaweeds, aquatic plants and all other aquatic organisms at all stages of their life cycle and any other animal/s declared from time to time by the Government through notification; (16) “Authority” means the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority; (17) “Company” means company as defined in the Companies Act, 2013(Central Act No.18 of 2013); (18) “Court” means any Court not less than a Court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class in the State of Andhra Pradesh; (19) “Distributor/Dealer” means the person/company/firm who distributes the aqua inputs / equipment on wholesale basis to vendors for retail sales; (20) “Firm” means a firm / partnership firm registered under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932(Central Act No.9 of 1932); (21) “Government” means the State Government of Andhra Pradesh. (22) “License” means any license given under sections 22 and 23 in favour of any person or company/firm for carrying out aquaculture and/or aquaculture business operations; (23) “Licensing authority” means the officer who is empowered to grant licenses to do aquaculture and/or aquaculture business operations; (24) “Notification” means a notification published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette; (25) “Prescribed” means prescribed by Rules made under this Act;